Spicy Southern Collard Greens w/ Aunt Fadrie's Chow Chow

It's the end of another busy week and I'm beaming because I have something special in the refrigerator--collard greens.  I mean, honestly, there is no greater comfort than a bowl of spicy collard greens with my Aunt Fadrie's homemade chow chow.  I make it my business to pick up a jar of this delicious sweet, spicy goodness every time I go home.  I make several versions of collard greens, but today's recipe is most traditional and my personal favorite.

This recipe is one of the few times I commit pesceterian heresy and cook with meat.  I've tried smoked paprika, imitation smoked bacon bits, and liquid smoke several times for smoke flavor, but there just is no replacement for the smokiness of smoked meat in a pot of greens.  Since I wasn't cooking for anyone else in particular, I had plenty of leeway so I took the leap and grabbed some smoked turkey necks while shopping at the market.  

Right after cooking these, I came across this Commercial Appeal article on the most "southern" of all foods.  I was just as surprised with the foods mentioned on the list as I was with the ones omitted.  When their extensive panel weighed in, there seemed to be an overwhelming consensus that greens, potlikker, fried green tomatoes, okra, cornbread, barbecue, pork, chicken and dumplings, biscuits, and grits were the most southern of all foods.  I was very surprised that more people mentioned greens than any other food.  While I love greens and tend to associate them with southern food, I always thought they were eaten all over the country.  I was also quite surprised that there was no mention of catfish considering the South's dominance in catfish farming.  My list would also include chitlins, chow chow, sweet potato pie, sweet tea, pecans, muscadines, and fried chicken.  

Spicy Southern Collard Greens

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil 
• 1 lb smoked turkey (any cut)
• 1 red onion, halved
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 2 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 lbs fresh collard greens, washed, stews removed, rolled, and chopped
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the smoked turkey and brown on both sides, about 6 minutes.  Add the onion havles, cut sides down, and brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.  Stir in the vegetable broth.  Season with chili flakes, salt, vinegar, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer.  Adjust seasoning, if desired.  Add the collard greens and minced garlic.   Stir to combine and cover.  Cook until greens are tender for about 45 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a teaspoon of chow chow.  Enjoy! 

Cook's Note: The longer your greens cook, the more nutritious the potlikker/broth/liquid becomes (assuming you haven't loaded it up with salt).  It's best to sop it up with cornbread or lap it up with a soup spoon.

Mango Watercress Salad with Jerk Shrimp

This salad is the second recipe in my "Summer of Salads" series.  It developed out of a strong yearning for a tropical fruit salad that was low-glycemic and well-balanced.  This salad delivers on both accounts and provides a fresh and exciting alternative to the ubiquitous garden salad.

Recipe development for this salad was a bit of a process.  I love mangoes so I knew that would be my key ingredient.  Then, I did a little research and found this recipe from Caribbean Pot that provided me with an excellent base for the salad.  I made a few modifications and ultimately decided that I prefer a 3:1 salad mixture of arugula and watercress.  Otherwise, the watercress is too strong for my personal liking.  To make the salad a little more complex, I added roasted cashew nuts, jerk shrimp, and raw green beans and tossed it in a homemade Allspice and Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing.

Mango Watercress Salad with Jerk Shrimp


Ingredients:

• 5-8 shrimp
• 1 container Grace Hot Jerk Seasoning
• 1 cup arugula
• 1/3 cup watercress
• 1/8 medium red onion, julienned
• 1/8 medium red bell pepper, julienned
• 1/4 cup raw green beans, snapped
• 1/4 ripe mango, cubed
• 1 tablespoon roasted cashew nuts

Directions:

Peel and devein shrimp.  Rub generously with jerk seasoning and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.  Remove shrimp from refrigerator and cook using your preferred method -- grill, broiler, or stovetop.  Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the flesh turns pink.  Remove from heat and set aside.  

In a large salad bowl, toss the remaining ingredients with 2 tablespoons of Allspice and Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing (recipe below).  Transfer salad to a serving plate and top with cooked jerk shrimp.  Enjoy!

Allspice and Nutritional Yeast Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1-4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup tamari
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 cup safflower oil

Directions:

Place first nine ingredients in a blender and combine.  With blender running, slowly pour in oil to reach desired consistency.  

Note: This recipe yields about 2 cups of salad dressing, which will last approximately 2 weeks in the refrigerator.